


One Step at a Time [Hiatus]

by aoitoakai



Category: Kuroko no Basuke | Kuroko's Basketball
Genre: Fluff, Humor, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2012-12-07
Updated: 2014-01-12
Packaged: 2017-11-20 14:45:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,615
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/586516
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aoitoakai/pseuds/aoitoakai
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Kagami gets a call urging him to go to the hospital. The reason? Aomine.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Step One: Hospital Visit

“Aomine!” Kagami burst through the door and rushed over to the tan teen’s hospital bed. “Are you alright?! I got the news from Kuroko!” There was a sheen of sweat visible on the redhead’s forehead and he was clearly out of breath.

Aomine simply stared blankly at the panicked face hovering above him for a few seconds before choosing to burst out laughing. Kagami frowned in confusion and leaned in to examine his rival more closely. There were no visible signs that he had been hurt, and no indication that he was in any pain at all. Frankly, he looked like he was perfectly fine. _Then… What the heck is he doing in here?_

“Five minutes and forty-three seconds. That’s quite impressive Kagami-kun.” 

Jumping backwards, Kagami jerked his head to his left and quickly located the source of the sound. “K-kuroko! You bastard, how long have you been standing there?! And what do you mean by five minutes and forty-three seconds?”

“I’ve been here since the beginning. You were simply too focused on Aomine to notice my presence… Ah, that is the time it took for you to get here after I called you.” Holding up his phone, he showed that he had been using it as a stopwatch. “It is quite the feat considering that you live twenty minutes away from here. You must have really been worried.”

Feeling a blush creep up on his already flushed cheeks, Kagami turned to face the opposite direction. “T-that’s ridiculous. I was… I mean… I just happened to be in the area, that’s all…” He already knew that they weren’t going to buy his excuse because, in all honesty, he _had_ been back at his apartment. Seirin’s ace jumper just wasn’t about to admit that he dropped everything to see if Aomine was okay.

Shifting his weight from one foot to the other, he reluctantly returned his gaze to Aomine, whose handsome face wore an expression of pure amusement. Irked, Kagami threw an accusing finger in the other’s face. “You know, for a sick person you look really healthy to me. Why are you even here?” _This better be good. I’m ready to bash some heads in._

Chuckling, Aomine slapped Kagami’s hand out of his face and replied, “Ah? This?” He motioned to the bed he was on and reclined further onto it. “I’m just getting a check-up. Satsuki wouldn’t stop nagging me about it. She even called Tetsu to make sure that I would show up. What a pain.” Flabbergasted, Kagami felt his jaw drop. _I… I sprinted all the way here because… What?!_

Immediately the redhead turned to Kuroko. Grabbing the collar of the smaller teen’s shirt and pulling upwards he growled, “What is the meaning of this?! When you called me, you made it sound like the guy was dying!”

With a small smile, his basketball shadow responded, “I’m sorry. I couldn’t resist seeing what your reaction would be. It was mostly Aomine-kun’s idea.”

“Tetsu can be quite the actor when he wants to be.” Aomine added, “Maybe it was worth this little trip just to see that face you made.” Touo’s ace grinned. “Man, I wish I could have taken a picture.”

Staring at both of their satisfied expressions, Kagami could feel his face heat up once more. He was so embarrassed and humiliated that he just wanted to crawl into a hole and hide. Letting go of his teammate’s shirt he grumbled, “Agh, this is stupid. I’m going home.” 

Just as he was turning to leave, he felt a sharp tug on the back of his shirt. Glancing backwards he saw a pair of midnight blue eyes ordering him to stay. Odd, for him to cling like that. There was something else in those dark, sapphire orbs, an unusual feeling. What was it…? Urgency…? Fear perhaps…?

Curious, he turned back to properly face Aomine and asked, “Is there something actually wrong with your body?” True concern appeared on the Kagami’s face as he felt the humorous air from earlier dissipate.

Hesitating a little, Aomine began, “Well, no uh… It’s just that… I’m actually due for… for a…” Dropping his eyes, he continued, “For a shot.” His brow furrowed and his dark cheeks deepened a shade.

Now, it was the redhead’s turn to snicker. “You’re afraid to take a little shot? The big shot of Touo?”

“Oi! Don’t you dare make fun of me, you bastard!” Frowning, he crossed his arms. He was still averting his eyes from the other teen’s gaze.

Stilling his laughter, he wiped a tear from his eye and asked, “Why do you need me here again?”

The reddish hue on his cheeks darkened even further before continuing. “Just for mental support… or something like that… You know what I mean? It’s… Uh… It’s actually the real reason why I made Tetsu call you. He has to meet up with somebody soon so…” Aomine scratched the back of his head in embarrassment.

“So… What you’re saying is that I’m the only one who can babysit you right now?”  


Aomine recoiled, “Babysit!? Hell no! I said you were here for mental support dammit! You were the only logical choice!”

 _How the hell is picking your freakin’ basketball rival for mental support the “logical choice”?!_ Kagami shook his head. He just couldn’t follow Aomine’s train of thought sometimes.

After a few moments in an uncomfortable silence, the tan teen made a realization. “Damn… Tetsu has already abandoned me.” Groaning, he motioned towards the empty floor where Kuroko had been standing only moments before.

“Wha—? When did he…?” _That sneaky bastard._

At that moment, there was a light knock on the door followed by the entrance of a young nurse, clad in all white. “Aomine-san? Good afternoon. I will be the one to administer your shot.” She smiled and bowed at the teen as she pulled out the small needle.

Aomine’s eyes widened as he froze in place; his gaze was transfixed upon the small object as she drew nearer. By the time the nurse had gently taken hold of his arm and began disinfecting it, Aomine had unconsciously reached out and seized Kagami’s hand.

Tensing from the sudden contact, he nearly shook off the slightly trembling hand in surprise. _He’s not even ogling the nurse. I swear that she’s the type that he always going on about… He’s actually asking you for help. Just do it._ After mentally slapping himself, he was able to calm down enough to give Aomine’s hand a reassuring squeeze. Under his touch, he sensed his blue-haired rival eventually relax.

Aomine released the breath that he wasn’t aware that he was holding and finally became conscious to the fact that he has been holding hands with his basketball rival. Ripping his attention from the nurse, he opted instead to inspect Kagami’s strangely determined, yet confused face. 

Although it’s true that their eyes have met countless times on the court, this particular meeting differed from the rest. A completely different intensity than what they were used to. Both of their hearts began to race, and the two of them felt the heat in their palms increase. It was a comforting warmth, one that spread throughout their bodies and enveloped their thoughts. Neither of them were willing to let go.

In fact, Aomine had been so caught up in the moment that he didn’t notice that the nurse had already finished her task. The exchange between the two of them, of course, did not go unnoticed by the hospital worker. Clearing her throat in order to snap them back to reality, she announced that Aomine was free to leave whenever he wished. Walking back to the door, she gave both of them an all-knowing smile. With a joyful tone she said, “I’ll just leave you two alone, then.” Chuckling softly to herself, she shut the door behind her.

The two aces stared dumbly at the door. _What the heck was she…?_ Then, coming to a simultaneous realization, they quickly let go of each other’s grip. Instantly breaking eye contact with one another, a second uncomfortable silence fell between the two.

After a few moments, Aomine was the first to break the silence. “Well… Uh... That shot wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be.” Trying to lighten the mood, he complained, “Ahh, I wanna play basketball right now. Hey, let’s play.” He cracked his knuckles and rolled out his neck.

Kagami ceased fidgeting with his shirt and retorted, “Pfft, you can’t play basketball right now you moron. You just got a shot in your arm, you shouldn’t move it around too much.”

“What? That’s dumb.” Sighing, he changed the objectives. “…Then I want food. Kagami, make something for me. I heard from Tetsu that you are surprisingly good at cooking.” Swinging his legs, he bounced off of the bed and landed gracefully next to his disgruntled companion.

“Haah? What makes you think I need to take orders from you? Wait, “surprisingly”? What’s that supposed to mean?!” The red-haired teen snapped as the two of them headed towards the exit.

With the return of their usual banter, the two of them pushed the hospital incident to the back of their minds. However, the memory was far from being forgotten. It was a constant reminder of the impending change that was occurring between them. Slowly, but surely.


	2. Movie Night

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for being missing for so long!
> 
> This chapter was completed a long time ago, but I felt like this idea had been overdone and didn't post it... But I didn't really want to scrap it either, so I finally decided to post it.

After leaving the hospital, Aomine really did end up invading Kagami’s apartment and, much to his delight, was able to secure himself a delicious home cooked meal; and it would not be his last.

Their meetings began innocently enough. It started off with their bi-weekly bickering and one-on-one games, promptly followed by a stay at Kagami’s apartment for dinner. Eventually, their time spent together increased to the point that they were practically hanging out every day. Surprisingly, however, they didn’t spend their time exclusively eating meals and playing basketball. Some days they would play video games or watch movies together. Other days they would sit in a comfortable silence, engrossed in their own individual activities until Aomine got bored enough to bother Kagami. An action that usually lead to an argument or two, but always ended up with Kagami coming up with an idea that would entertain them both.

However, the fact that they had suddenly become so chummy with one another could not escape their teammates’ eyes. Aomine had started to return to practice (much to Momoi’s delight), but as soon as the end whistle to practice was blown, he was already running out the door in order to meet up for their one-on-one sessions. Conversely, sometimes Kagami would be the one who waited by the entrance of the Touou gym if their practice ran over the appointed time, a boxed snack for them to share tucked safely under his arm.

Honestly, most of the team was downright confused. One month they couldn’t even stand looking at each other, and then the next, they’re frequently eating meals and sleeping over at each other’s houses? How the hell did that happen? Is it a sign of the apocalypse?

Kuroko, of course, had noticed a subtle change in their behavior long before it evolved and became evident to everybody else. And, naturally, he made plans to investigate this development further by suggesting a movie night.

Kagami, oblivious to his shadow’s ulterior motives, readily agreed. They had just finished their exams, so he decided that he could use some relaxation time. Aomine was intentionally not informed of their plans, thanks to Kuroko’s subtle suggestion, as they both knew he was going to show up regardless of his lack of invitation.

After school, the two of them headed to Kagami’s apartment together and passed the time watching television while awaiting Aomine’s arrival. Apparently Momoi had dragged him along to go shopping after school, so he had sent a text to Kagami concerning what he wanted (or more like demanded) to have for dinner when he got there. Double checking the order, Kagami sighed, muttering that it couldn’t be helped, and set out to complete his task.

Just as Kagami had finished setting the food on the table and settled into the couch, a familiar voice drifted from the hall. “Hey, I’m back. Is dinner finished?” Aomine paused. “Wait, whose shoes are these...?”

“Welcome back.” Kagami twisted from his position on the couch to greet his guest. It was a running joke between the two of them to greet each other this way since Aomine practically lived in the redhead’s apartment now a days. “Those shoes are Kuroko’s.”

Aomine shifted his gaze to the other male in surprise. “Yo, Tetsu! What brings you here?”

“Good evening, Aomine-kun. I brought a movie that we could watch together during dinner.”

The tanned teen eyed the two of them questioningly for a second before shrugging. “Huh, that’s cool. What movie did you bring?” Aomine plopped down onto the couch, forcibly squeezing himself into the small space between the two.

“He--ow! What the hell, Aomine? There’s plenty of space on the other side of the couch, why’d you have to sit here?!” Glaring disapprovingly, Kagami reluctantly scooted over in order to make more space for the three of them to sit comfortably in their new positions.

Secretly amused by the exchange, Kuroko made a mental note of the interesting seating choice and answered Aomine’s question by holding up a DVD case. “I was in the mood for horror, so I brought a classic ghost story.”

“G-ghost story...?” Aomine and Kagami echoed nervously. The two of them could not hide the fact that they both had broken into a cold sweat and were shivering slightly. After exchanging an uneasy glance with each other, they cleared their throats.

“W-what’s wrong, Kagami? Are you scared or something? We don’t have to watch it if you’re gonna chicken out!” Aomine teased, a strange smirk plastered on his face.

“I-I’m not scared! And I’m not gonna chicken out! W-We’re going to watch this thing!” Kagami puffed out his chest. Ghosts may be one of his irrational fears, but it certainly isn’t his worst one. How bad could the supernatural be compared to his physical fear of canines anyway?

“Good. It’s even one of those 3D films. Here, put these on.” Already sporting the headgear, Kuroko handed the two of them the necessary glasses, which they cautiously accepted. “I’m going to start the movie now.” Shutting off the lights, he popped the disc into the player and pressed play.

The movie started normally enough, as horror films go anyway. A group of friends decided to take a test of courage by sneaking into their school and camping there for the night. However, as the night progressed, more and more of them began disappearing or becoming possessed. It was a predictable set of events, but it did not help quell Aomine and Kagami’s apprehension in the slightest.

The realistic setting coupled with the 3D effects proved to be a very dangerous combination. Every time a spirit would pop out of the screen, the two aces were unable to silence their yells of surprise (again, much to Kuroko’s silent amusement).

Kagami was hugging his knees to chest, his knuckles white from clutching the fabric of his pants. He could feel his pulse throb throughout his body, and could not help but hold his breath when he sensed an upcoming jump scare. However, his predictions did nothing to stop him from getting startled and letting loose a quiet flood of profanities spoken in English after each scream. It was evident though, that Kagami was actually holding up much better compared to their dark blue haired companion. It was a slightly comforting thought, but not by much.

Reminiscent to his reaction to the shot at the hospital, Aomine was slightly shaking and hugging onto a couch pillow for dear life. He could also be heard mumbling nonsense under his breath that seemed to be an incantation of sorts; as if he could repel the imaginary ghosts that ran rampant across the screen through the chant.

However when the movie reached its climax, Kagami completely lost his composure. One tiny detail that Kuroko failed to mention before the movie started was that there were certain animals involved in the film as well. 

The second a pack of possessed canines lunged from the screen (due to the 3D effects) in order to rip a poor student to bloody shreds, Kagami was unable to contain himself any longer. First ghosts and now dogs?! _Ghost dogs_ on top of that! It was all too much to handle. 

As his mind blanked, Kagami screamed bloody murder and dove for the one nearest to him: Aomine.

By burying his face into the other’s chest, he ended up knocking the pillow that Aomine had been abusing earlier onto the floor. The abrupt movement caused the dark blue haired teen to yelp in turn, and nearly socked the frightened redhead in the jaw. However, just as Aomine raised his fist to strike, a shriek from one of the actresses pierced his eardrums causing him to lower his hand in favor of clinging onto his new human pillow instead. A string of low curses from the two power forwards could be heard during lulls in the suspenseful background music.

This new pose was held for the remainder of the movie, as neither of the two dared to move lest they incur the wrath of more fictional spirits, their 3D glasses discarded and forgotten on the floor.

When the last teenager alive finally met his gruesome end and the credits began to roll, the two basketball rivals slowly regained their composure and became more aware of their intimate positions. Kagami had somehow managed to climb onto Aomine’s lap and had his arms around the other teen’s torso; his cheek pressed against the other’s neck. While Aomine had one hand tangled in dark red tresses, and the other in the small of Kagami’s back.

The realizations slowly sinking in, their heart rates skyrocketed. While they cautiously pulled back from one another and stared at each other’s reddening faces. Before they could hastily separate from one another, a flash of dazzling light snapped them out of their musings.

Kuroko glanced at the picture on his phone approvingly before he tucking it back into his pocket. There was a stunned pause before the other two began their outbursts and scrambled to create some distance between one another. “K-Kuroko, w-what did you just...?!”

Ignoring the disturbance, Kuroko brought a piece of meat to his lips and exclaimed, “That was a good movie. But, Kagami-kun it’s a shame that the food got cold.”

“W-what...? Ugh, how did we forget about the food?” Kagami face palmed, instantly forgetting about the flash of light earlier, his heart still beating wildly. “Wait, I’ll go heat all this stuff up again.” He grabbed what he could and headed over to the kitchen.

Once Kagami was out of earshot, Aomine elbowed Kuroko in the ribs. “Hey, Tetsu... You planned all this didn’t you?” The thundering of his heart was still loud in his ears.

Rubbing his side, he returned Aomine’s stare and replied, “That hurt, Aomine-kun... And I’m not sure what you are insinuating.”

“You’ve been at our sides long enough to know that we would have been terrified of that movie. Is this revenge for something? Did we do something to piss you off or something?”

“Nothing of the sort. We are simply relaxing after midterms.” Kuroko sipped innocently at his water.

“Tch, you and I both know that’s not--”

“Sorry about the wait! Better dig in before it gets cold again.” Kagami reappeared from the kitchen, plates in hand.

Aomine was going to confront Kuroko once more, but was promptly distracted by the sound of his stomach protesting its lack of nutrients. “Dammit, whatever. I’ve been waiting for this! It better be good.”

Kagami simply rolled his eyes. “You’re even lucky I _listen_ to your friggin’ selfish demands, you moron.”

“Hah, as if! _You’re_ the one that’s lucky. The great Aomine-sama has allowed you carry out his whims.” At this point, Aomine had already devoured half the curry that had been set before him.

“What was that, you bastard?” Kagami swiped Aomine’s plate away. “Then I guess the great Aomine-sama can easily find someone else’s food to eat, and home to invade, hmm?” Laughing to himself, he took a few steps back to dodge Aomine’s vain attempt at retrieving his stolen meal.

The two quickly slipped into their bickering modes, forgetting about the awkward experience that they had shared mere minutes before. Kuroko, whose existence had all but faded into the background, could not help but curl his lips into a small smile at the scene.

The lively dinner abruptly ended after Kuroko received a text from his mother, and had to excuse himself from the excitement. Aomine had already declared that he was going to spend the night "to protect Kagami" from being too scared to sleep, stubbornly refusing to admit that he was afraid to sleep on his own. And Kagami, being equally stubborn, refused to admit that he was relieved that he wouldn’t have to fear being alone in case the ghost dogs would come from the darkness and devour him whole.

Before shutting the door Kuroko called out, “I’m glad that you both seemed to enjoy the film. I’ll bring another one like this one, next time.”

The simultaneous response from the living room came immediately. “Hell no!”

A week later Kuroko showed up on Kagami’s doorstep and repeated the entire plan again... For his amusement, more pictures, as well as for further investigation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> When Aomine says, "I'm back," it's equivalent to tadaima, or "I'm home."  
> And when Kagami says, "Welcome back," it's equivalent to okaeri, or "Welcome home."
> 
> Just going to point out that I don't think people usually say this when entering other people's houses. Unless, they're close.

**Author's Note:**

> Not sure whether or not Aomine is _actually_ afraid of shots. I just thought it would be cute on top of his fear of ghosts.


End file.
